> Can anyone explain why 999 is not the best emergency number ever chosen?
Numbers with widely separated digits such as 911 in the US or 119 in Japan are less likely to be accidentally dialed than numbers with similar or identical digits such as 999 or 112. As the article notes:
"However, around 35 per cent of calls do not involve actual requests for help, with the majority of these made by children playing with home phones or people accidentally dialling 999 or the European emergency number 112, often from a mobile handset in a pocket or handbag."
Though phones which map the emergency number to speed dial may negate the advantage.
Accidental calls waste time and potentially divert resources from real emergencies.
Numbers with widely separated digits such as 911 in the US or 119 in Japan are less likely to be accidentally dialed than numbers with similar or identical digits such as 999 or 112. As the article notes:
"However, around 35 per cent of calls do not involve actual requests for help, with the majority of these made by children playing with home phones or people accidentally dialling 999 or the European emergency number 112, often from a mobile handset in a pocket or handbag."
Though phones which map the emergency number to speed dial may negate the advantage.
Accidental calls waste time and potentially divert resources from real emergencies.